Widespread rain over many parts of India, including northwest

Chandigarh, May 2

The day saw several parts of India, including the northwest, receive widespread rain.

The IMD on Tuesday reported rain/thundershowers over Jammu, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, coastal Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Lakshadweep and also some parts of Rajasthan, Jharkhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Saurashtra and Kutch, Vidarbha, Telangana and Rayalaseema.

Temperatures dip

Heavy rains over northwest saw maximum temperatures dip “markedly below normal” at most places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi,” according to IMD.

The minimum temperatures were “appreciably below normal” at most places over West Rajasthan and at many places over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and “below normal” at many places over Uttarakhand, Punjab.

On Monday, the lowest minimum temperature of 16°C was reported at Guna (west Madhya Pradesh)

In fact, the day temperatures hovered markedly below normal at most places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, at many places over Odisha and Gujarat region, at a few places over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, as per the weather office.

Reasons for the rain

There appears to be more than one reason, including a western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation over Haryana in middle tropospheric levels.

Another western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation is lying over south Pakistan in middle tropospheric levels.

An induced cyclonic circulation is also present over northwest Rajasthan in lower tropospheric level, according to the IMD.

Meanwhile, a trough/wind discontinuity is running from west Vidarbha to south interior Karnataka in lower tropospheric levels.

Forecast for the next 24 hours

The weather office says that light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rain/snow with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds (wind speed 30-50 kmph) is very likely over northwest India during next 24 hours.

It will gradually reduce thereafter.

Hailstorm activity is also very likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand during the next four days.

Meanwhile, dust-storms can be expected over isolated places in west Rajasthan around May 4.

The IMD on Sunday had issued an alert regarding heavy rain and hailstorm at isolated places in several parts of the country for the next three days (May 1, May 2 and May 3).